How to Save Chat History in Teams as a PDF?

Dear @Wilkinson, Kiyonah S,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A community. For your inquiry regarding how to save Microsoft Teams chat history as a PDF, we're more than happy to help with this. Below are reliable methods. Each with step-by-step instructions, to help you export and preserve your chat conversations effectively:

Method 1: Official Microsoft Export (HTML Download + PDF Conversion)

1. Submit a Data Export Request
   • Go to the https://account.microsoft.com/privacy.
   • Sign in with your Microsoft account used for Teams.
   • Select “Chat History” (and optionally “Media”) and click Submit Request.
   • Confirm if prompted.
2. Wait for Export Completion
   • The export may take minutes to days depending on chat size.
   • Check the “Available Exports” section for status updates.
3. Download the Export
   • Once ready, download the .zip file.
   • Inside, you’ll find an HTML file (e.g., Messages.html) and possibly a media folder.
4. Convert HTML to PDF
   • Option 1: Browser Print
   • Open the HTML file in a browser.
   • Use Print > Save as PDF.
   • Option 2: PDF Converter
   • Use tools like Adobe Acrobat or online HTML-to-PDF converters.
   • Option 3: Microsoft Word
   • Open the HTML in Word and use Save As > PDF.
5. Verify the PDF
   • Ensure all messages and media are present.
   • If images are missing, check the media folder and insert them manually if needed.

Method 2: Print Chat to PDF via Teams

1. Open Teams in a Browser or Desktop App
   • Go to https://teams.microsoft.com using Chrome or Edge.
   • Log in and open the Chats section.
2. Load the Full Conversation
   • Scroll up to load the entire chat history you want to save.
   • Teams loads messages in chunks, so keep scrolling until you reach the start or desired point and select the entire chat by pressing Ctrl + A
3. Open the Print Dialog
   • Paste the desire conversation to Word or PowerPoint
   • Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) or use the browsers or Teams’ menu to select Print.
4. Choose “Save as PDF”
   • In the print dialog, set the Destination to Save as PDF.
   • Adjust layout (Portrait/Landscape), margins, and scale as needed.
5. Save the PDF
   • Click Save and choose a location and file name on your computer.
6. Verify the Output
   • Open the PDF to ensure all messages and visible media (images, GIFs) are captured.

Method 3: Compliance Content Search (Admin Only) 

Best for long-term logs or legal/HR requests. 

Steps (Requires Microsoft 365 Admin Role): 

1. Go to Microsoft Purview Portal:https://purview.microsoft.com/
2. Go to Content search under Solutions → Data lifecycle management. 
3. Create a New search and specify: 
4. User mailbox (of the person in the Teams chat) 
5. Select Teams messages as the content source 
6. Run the search and export the results. 
7. Use eDiscovery Export Tool to download data.
8. Convert the exported HTML or Excel to PDF using Word or Excel.

I hope you find this message is helpful. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have further questions or need assistance implementing any of the suggested workarounds. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

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